title: [Prenatal substitution therapy in fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia].
abstract: Fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is caused by maternofetal transfer of platelet antibodies. Since the thrombocytopenic fetus is threatened by intracranial hemorrhage, prenatal observation and, if necessary, treatment is required. However, the benefit of therapeutic options, including intravenous IgG (ivIgG) or platelet transfusions, is still controversial. In this study we have evaluated the effect of maternal ivIgG and intraumbilical platelet transfusions on fetal platelet counts in 7 cases. All patients were multiparous women who were immunized against the Zwa antigen during previous pregnancies and had given birth to at least one severely thrombocytopenic infant. First umbilical blood was sampled at the 26th week of gestation. Maternal treatment of ivIgG was given over 7 weeks, the mean number of intrauterine platelet transfusions was 5.9. In 6 of 7 cases the basal platelet count before transfusion did not rise or even further decreased during maternal ivIgG treatment. In one case the baseline platelet count increased from 18,000/microliter to 60,000/microliter during ivIgG. We conclude that, in general, ivIgG alone has no detectable effect on fetal alloimmune thrombocytopenia. Since platelet counts can be very low as early as 20 weeks of gestation, careful fetal monitoring by umbilical blood sampling is required. Platelet transfusions in short intervals appear to be the only effective regimen to increase platelet counts in extremely thrombocytopenic fetuses.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Experimentelle Hämatologie und Transfusionsmedizin, Universität Bonn, Deutschland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bald
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kroll
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiefel
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Scharf
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hanfland
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hansmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mueller-Eckhardt
mesh_terms: D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet / Q000276:immunology*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D039661:Integrin beta3; D007518:Isoantibodies; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010298:Parity; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000196:embryology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet; D000939:Epitopes; C061248:ITGB3 protein, human; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D039661:Integrin beta3; D007518:Isoantibodies
vernacular_title: Pränatale Substitutionstherapie bei fetaler Alloimmunthrombozytopenie.